Someone to Understand
by drakorene
Summary: Tess has just arrived for another summer at Camp Rock. Unsure of how people will react to her after last year, she waits for Jason to arrive to save her. But he seems to know something she's tried to keep hidden - her feelings. Tess/Jason. Oneshot.


_A/N: Although this is a sequel to my oneshot _Hope You Don't Misunderstand_, it's not necessary to have read that before this. All you need to know is that after Final Jam, Tess was sitting alone and Jason offered to be her friend since everyone else seemed to hate her._

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything about _Camp Rock.

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_**Someone to Understand, a Tess Tyler Oneshot**_

"You'll be fine, dear," my mother reassures me, rubbing my back as I try to hold back my tears.

"But they all hate me!" I protest. "Why am I here again?"

"Tess Tyler, they do not hate you!" my mother says, exuding that confidence and certainty that is typical of T.J. Tyler. I wish I was like her. But then, it was trying to be like her that got me into all the trouble last year anyway. I did my best to fix that by apologizing to Ella, Peggy, and Mitchie.

Which brings me to the present. I'm sitting in a limo at Camp Rock, trying to gather the courage to step out.

"Tess, you need to get out there and show them that you're different than last summer," my mother encourages. She uses her hand to raise my head up and she fixes my straight blond hair. Smoothing out my light blue blazer and straightening my silver teardrop necklace, my mother says, "Besides, Jason is instructing this year with the rest of Connect 3. Aren't you excited to see him again?"

I blush a little at her blatant reminder of my crush, but I nod and manage to put a smile on my face. I haven't seen Jason since I went to a Connect 3 concert in L.A. back in March. All of the members of the band live in New England, while I live in Los Angeles, so I rarely get to see my best friend. Still, Jason has made it a point to call me at least once a week and to email and text in between. Ever since that night after Final Jam last year, he's always made sure I know that I have a real, true friend in him. He's helped me get through the year. He listened to me complain about starting at a new school – public high school rather than the boarding school I attended before my mom realized that I need to see her more often. Jason even came to L.A. in January to celebrate my birthday. I know he'll be here for me today.

"You're right, Mom." I reach down to grab my messenger bag, which I opted for over a purse. I've tried to act and dress as I did before I became obsessed with outshining everyone else. I'm quite casually dressed in a pair of black jeans, a white plain tee, a blue blazer, and black boots. Of course, I'm still wearing my Grammy bracelet (as I call it) and the teardrop necklace Jason gave me for my seventeenth birthday, but I'm still very toned down in comparison to last year.

I give my mother one last hug before pushing open the limo door and stepping out. I close the door and glance around. I can't see anyone I know. There are plenty of campers I recognize but none I'm willing to talk to. And it looks like Connect 3 hasn't arrived yet.

I'm extremely nervous about being here, about seeing all the people I hurt. Sure, I apologized and Ella, Peggy, and Mitchie were generous enough to forgive me, but they don't want to be my friends again. I'm sure they don't even want to see me.

I try to ignore the glares of the people around me. I try to shut out the hurried whispers of old campers telling the new ones about who I am and what happened last year.

But I can't block it out. My whole life, I've listened intently for the jealous praises of my peers. Now I find it's difficult to ignore their judgment, good or bad.

"…She fell on stage at Final Jam…I feel so bad for her…"

"…She didn't even show up at the after party…so humiliated…"

"…I heard no one will even talk to her anymore…"

"…lost all her friends…"

I wish I could vanish into thin air or fall into the ground or get back in the car and go home. But I can't. Because running away would be worse than facing everyone and sticking it through.

If only Jason were here. I need him. I just need to know he's somewhere close by. I remember something he said to me once. _As long as you've got a true friend who understands you, you can put up with all the people who don't. _

I clutch my necklace while my mother's driver takes my suitcase out of the trunk of the limo. I tried to cut down on the amount of stuff I bring to camp and Tom has no problem taking my bag to my cabin. I lean against the car while I wait for Tom to return. He gets back into the limo, but I don't move. I hear a tap on the window next to me, letting me know that my mother needs to go. I push myself away from the car and watch as my last supporter leaves me behind in the dust.

Maybe I'm being a little dramatic. Or a lot dramatic. Because although my mom has left, I can see another limo coming down the road and it can only belong to Connect 3.

Suddenly I'm a little apprehensive about seeing Jason face to face again. After all, to him I'm just his best friend, but I love him. I _love_ him. I realized it a few months ago when I found that I can't help but smile when I see his face, even if it's on the television or on the cover of a magazine. But he doesn't see me in that way.

I step back into the crowd that has gathered to see Connect 3. The car door opens and Shane – sorry, _the _Shane Gray – steps out to a round of squeals and screams. He looks around as if he's searching for someone and I know it's Mitchie. Jason told me that they started dating last October. Nate follows Shane out of the limo and there are more screams. As they go to the back of the car to get their bags and guitars, Jason gets out.

My breath catches in my throat and I couldn't join in with the screaming girls even if I wanted to. Seeing Jason again…his smiling face…Would he smile at me like that if he knew what I feel for him? Probably not. He'd be so afraid of hurting my feelings that he would never be able to say that he doesn't love me back. But he's also so honest that he wouldn't be able to say that he loves me. He'd be conflicted. This is exactly why I can never tell him. Plus, I might lose the only friend I have. And I couldn't handle that.

Jason catches sight of me and his smile widens. I love that I have that effect on him. He waves to me excitedly and motions for me to come to him. I guess I can't hide anymore. I push through the crowd to get to him.

My best friend immediately embraces me with a huge Jason-like bear hug. I gladly bury my head in his shoulder, breathing in the scent I have sorely missed. I fit so perfectly in his arms. Why can't he see that? Why can't he realize that we're meant for each other? Because he's Jason and he's completely oblivious to half of the things that happen around him.

And, completely oblivious as he is, Jason pulls away happily, leaving me missing his warmth.

"I missed you, Tess!" he exclaims, bouncing up and down on his feet, a typical Jason action.

"I've missed you, too," I say in a much quieter voice. But I'm smiling at him and I know that I'm just as excited to see him as he is to see me, if not more so.

Shane and Nate pass by us with their stuff. Shane ignores me. I was expecting that. He's cold to me on his girlfriend's behalf. He's still mad about last year. But Nate pauses next to us and says, "I've got your bag, Jase, and Shane has your guitar. We'll take them to the cabin so you can catch up." He doesn't say anything to me, but he smiles at me briefly before going after Shane.

Jason and I walk towards the lake. As we pass through the crowd, I can't help but notice that no one is sending me vicious glares or saying anything bad about me in a whisper. You'd think they all hate me for being so close to a member of Connect 3, but it seems that Jason's acceptance of me tells them that I may not be as bad as all the rumors say.

I follow Jason to the dock where we first became friends. He doesn't sit down; instead, he stands at the end, staring out at the lake. I step forward to be next to him and notice that he's uncommonly serious. He's not smiling, which is very rare. The way he wrings his hands tells me that he's nervous. But about what?

I start to panic as I think of all the reasons he could be nervous. The one foremost in my mind is that Jason wants to end our friendship. But why? He's the one who was so persistent in being friends with me. Maybe he's realized how many people don't like me or perhaps he's figured out how much his bandmates dislike our friendship. Or maybe –

"Tess," Jason says. I snap out of my thoughts to see Jason with a worried smile on his face. "What's wrong?"

I guess he saw my panicked expression. It is so like Jason to put aside his own concerns to ask after me. But after a moment's hesitation, I answer, "Nothing."

Jason smiles briefly and turns to look at the lake again. I remain silent, waiting for him to speak. It's obvious there's something pressing on his mind. I wish I knew what to say, but I'm not that type of person. I don't know how to help people naturally.

"We've been good friends this last year," Jason starts. He says no more; he only looks at me for confirmation.

"Best friends," I assure him, but I'm confused and a little concerned. The Jason I know sees the entire world as his friend. He never needs proof or reassurance. It just shows how much something must be bothering him.

Jason finally speaks again. "You've changed since last summer – in a good way. You are yourself. You're not trying to be perfect anymore."

"It didn't turn out so well last year," I remark, watching a pinecone fall from a nearby tree into the lake. My eyes follow the ripples with fascination. The lake takes in the intruding pinecone and only momentarily shows the effects of it. Then the surface smoothes out perfectly, as if it had never been disturbed. I wish I could be like the lake, embracing the bad things and recovering easily.

Jason muses randomly, as is his tendency, "I'm pretty oblivious to most things, aren't I?"

I frown, completely bewildered. Where is he going with this?

"Yes," I respond slowly.

"But it seems that with you I notice everything."

From the corner of my eye, I can see Jason looking at me apprehensively. I look away quickly. Has he found me out? Does he know? What will he do?

"Tess?"

Maybe he's talking about something else, I think to myself. There's no way he could have guessed that I love him.

Gentle hands rest on my shoulders and turn me around until I'm face to face with Jason's beautiful smile. I attempt a timid smile in return.

"I always thought you weren't afraid to speak your mind. I thought you would go after what you wanted without letting anything stop you." As he talks, Jason's right hand plays with my hair, almost as he was plucking the strings on his guitar. "So why are you hiding from me now?"

Okay, so maybe he knows.

I swallow thickly and look down, away from his eyes.

"I don't know what you mean," I whisper, unable to steady my voice.

"Don't you?" Jason smirks gently. His left hand leaves my shoulder to rest at the back of my neck, while the other sneaks up to caress my cheek.

"Maybe," I say, still in a whisper.

"Look at me, Tess," Jason commands softly but firmly. My eyes immediately shoot up to meet his – because even though Tess Tyler doesn't take orders from anyone, even _she_ can't ignore a request from Jason Davis, particularly when she's in love with him.

Jason's gaze is kind, warm, and…loving? That can't be right. Maybe just caring?

"Do you love me, Tess?" Jason asks. Well, he's certainly never been one to dance around a question.

I can't lie – not to Jason.

"I love you," I admit quietly.

Finally, my Jason comes back. He lets out a delighted laugh and grins widely before pulling me into a sweet kiss.

He breaks the kiss after a moment, saying, "I love you, too, Tess."

I wrap my arms around Jason's waist and lean into him. "How long have you known how I feel?"

"Since March," he answers, hugging me back tightly. "When you came to our concert, I realized that you acted differently. You blushed when I talked to you or touched you and you stuttered sometimes when you spoke to me. And then the weeks after that, I paid special attention to what you said to me. You were quite obvious once I started watching closely enough."

"Since March? Why didn't you say anything?" I ask, pulling away so that we can walk towards the mess hall for lunch.

"I wanted you to speak up. But by the time we came here, I realized that you probably wouldn't."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You didn't know how I felt. If I hadn't been so sure about you, I never would have said anything to you either," he reassures me as he opens the door to the mess hall.

"Jase, over here!"

We walk over to the table where Nate is waving to us. Jason sits down and pulls me into the spot next to him. I give everyone a tentative smile. Shane ignores me and Caitlyn shoots me a half-hearted glare, but Mitchie returns the slight smile. Nate is the only one who greets me with a genuine grin. He must have known Jason and I would get together today.

Lunch is incredibly awkward, but I can deal with it because I – finally – have Jason. And _he_ understands me…perfectly.

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_A/N: Please review and let me know how I did. I attempted to show how Tess changed since the last summer while still keeping her in character, so I would appreciate feedback on that. Thank you for reading!_


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